The garden’s been there for about a month. It took Connely two days to build.

Bored one night, he decided to build the garden to provide a place to put some of his 20-odd bonsai trees.

The garden is diverse in that it tries to mimic various climates. One area features blue aquarium rocks to simulate a river. In another area, Connely placed some dead sticks and brown rocks to replicate a desert.

A bonsai tree can be created from nearly any woody-stemmed tree or shrub species.

Connely generally uses holly trees.

Throughout the plant’s life it is shaped to limit growth and developed to meet the artist’s vision.

“When I’m looking for a plant in a store, I don’t really care what it looks like then. I just look at how I can make it look,” Connely said.

Growing bonsai trees takes discipline and perseverance, Connely said.

“It took a lot of trees dying before I got the technique down,” he said. “You can’t just let them go; you have to stay on top of it or they’ll die.”

What you’re doing is essentially miniaturizing a tree, Connely said.

The most important process of bonsai cultivation is stationing the trees’ roots, Connely said, which involves root reduction.

Other cultivation techniques such as leaf trimming and pruning are also important.

The soil he uses is loose, basic soil. The trees’ containers must have holes in the bottom to complement fast-draining bonsai soil.

He said he plans to expand the garden to the other side of his house, but he’s still making sure the one he has works out for him.

Initially worried that children in the neighborhood would mess with the garden, Connely said that hasn’t been the case.

“The kids know not to mess with it,” said Carolyn Cooper, one of Connely’s neighbors. “I didn’t think it was going to come out that nice, but it did, and a lot of people come by to see it.”

Gustavia Cooper, another neighbor, said she didn’t know a garden could be placed on top of concrete.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” she said. “But we like it. It’s real nice.”

Connely, who lives at 8410 Main St., Houma, said anyone can stop by and check out the garden.